10 YEARS AGO
The City of Quincy was among 48 cities and counties awarded money by the Florida Communities Trust. The city was awarded $910,000 to buy 129 acres in the downtown area to build a park. Quincy grants coordinator Auburn Ford said the land was the largest tract left in downtown Quincy that had not been developed. He said the money would help the city develop the property and make it more attractive for housing and commercial uses. The site was known as the Tanyard Creek Preservation Park.

Vibrant harvest colors adorned Havana’s streets and patrons alike as Havana’s merchants provided the town’s fourth annual Havana Pumpkin Fest. Crowd estimates grew through the day to well over 2,000. Hundreds of families strolled thorugh the streets and visited the shops. They then took hayrides, climbed the moonwalk and slid down a monstrous slide. The happy noise of children having fun provided a wonderful background for a picture-perfect day.

20 YEARS AGO
Appointments were being taken by Havana’s new doctor, Mark Newberry, who planned to open his practice at the Havana Medical Center on Monday, November 1. It marked almost a year since Dr. Tom Hicks closed his Havana practice. Newberry, a 42-year old Kansas native who completed his residency at TMH, said his office would “manage generally any medical problem as well as preventive medicine.”

Gadsden County’s economy could look for a big boost in the arm as ground was broken for a multi-million dollar prison near Gretna. State and local dignitaries were on hand for the ceremony including Gov. Lawton Chiles, Senate President Pat Thomas, Senator Malcolm Beard, Representative Robert Trammell and past Speaker of the House James Harold Thompson. Gov. Chiles said the prison would create 230 permanent jobs.

30 YEARS AGO
The annual Vickers Cemetery fish fry and local get-together was enjoyed by about 1,000 people in spite of some erroneous advertising and an earlier threat of rain. A good crowd, although estimated to be smaller than the previous year, filled its belly on fried fish, cole slaw, hush puppies, ice tea, coffee and dessert. And to the delight of the organizers, approximately $700 was netted for the maintenance of the cemetery.

Fount May , owner of May Nursery in Havana, received the Butler-Odenkirk Award from the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association during its annual meeting in Orlando. The association presented the award annually to its choice for Florida’s most outstanding nurseryman and grower of the year. A trustee of the association, May served as president in 1980-81.

40 YEARS AGO
Carl L. Owenby, treasurer of Quincy Federal and secretary-treasurer of the newly-formed Gadsden County Taxpayers League, told county commissioners that the league had no thought of trying to close down Gasden County Public Schools but it would investigate the “fat” in the school board and county budgets. Owenby cited as fat the running of air conditioners and lights in empty school buildings all summer, and the expanses of glass walling in the new school administration building.

Three men, two murderers and a sex offender, broke out a window at Florida State Hospital and jumped to temporary freedom. The three evaded the sheriff’s department for nearly 24 hours while hiding out in nearby woods. All three were apprehended after attempting to break into a Chattahoochee resident’s truck. The men, considered highly dangerous and unpredictable, were caught on the Hardaway Road and returned to the hospital.

50 YEARS OLD
Sportsmen from all over the county attended a special meeting held at the Gadsden courthouse to discuss the shooting of migratory game birds over a baited field, and what constituted a baited field. Federal game official Bill Davis said he had visited with local tobacco farmers and in his opinion the practice of planting millet as a cover crop and instead of harvesting the crop in its entirety to cut down and harrow it into the ground, was highly recommended as an agricultural procedure was perfectly legal. But, he said, it was up to Washington to make that decision.

Havana Kiwanis president C.B. Shelfer introduced Rep. C. Fred Arrington of Havana as guest speaker at the club’s meeting. The subject of Rep. Arrington’s address were three amendments to be voted on in November. Amendment One was concerned with a bond issue for outdoor recreation, Amendment Two was the college building amendment which would allow the issuance of bonds to build additional classrooms, and Amendment Three would change the gubernatorial election from presidential election years.

60 YEARS AGO
Qualifying deadline found all incumbents signed up to run for town offices and two other candidates also seeking election. Lanier Laing, prominent businessman and owner of a trucking line, qualified to run for the town council along with Cecil Butler, Fred Arrington, Walter Truluck, A.M. Butler and Alvin Stephens. W.K. Cowart and E.H. Slappey were candidates for the mayor’s position.

Miss Mary Sue Thomas, Quincy High School senior, was crowned queen of the 11th annual Gadsden County Tobacco Festival and Fair by Deborah Griffin, last year’s queen. Miss Thomas won the honor in a contest entered by nine county high school seniors.